HALIFAX, N.S. – Softball Nova Scotia’s 2018 Hall of Fame class has a distinct local flavour.
Four Colchester County men – Greg Patton, Tim Macumber, Lou Davis and Dave Anderson – will take their place in the hall during a ceremony on Saturday, July 21 at Keith’s Brewery in Halifax.
Gerald Muizelaar of Shubenacadie (athlete) will also be inducted, along with Shirley Nepean, Dartmouth (builder); Scott Black, Sydney (builder); Jody Hennigar, Halifax (athlete); Todd King, Cow Bay (athlete); Mark Smith, Falmouth (athlete/coach), Dave Houghton, Halifax (builder/coach) and John MacEwan (Cornwall, P.E.I.).
Following are profiles for Colchester County Hall of Fame inductees:
Greg Patton, Bible Hill (athlete)
Patton’s softball success started early in life, winning an atom provincial title in 1970, followed by a Maritime midget championship in 1976.
In 1981, he enjoyed local and national success, as his Ray MacDonald Insurance team was the Colchester Major Softball League champions, while Patton was also a member of the Nova Scotia Canada Games gold medal team.
Patton went on to play shortstop at the senior A level with Brookfield, Truro and East Hants from 1982 to 1996. He played in 10 senior national championships and won a bronze medal as a member of the Brookfield Elks at the 1986 tournament in P.E.I.
He also competed with the Summerside 94s at the International Softball Congress championships in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1992.
In 2001, Patton was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame as a member of the 1981 Canada Games team. In 2012, he was inducted into the Colchester County Sport Hall of Fame, while last year he was elected to the East Hants Sport Hall of Fame as a member of the 1985 Shubenacadie Lions.
Tim Macumber, Valley (athlete)
Macumber won gold in 1992 at the junior Canadian championship and again in 1996 at the senior national tournament. He also has three silver medals and a bronze at the national senior level.
A pitcher and first baseman, Macumber was named to senior men’s Canadian championship all-star teams in 1995, 2000 and 2005.
Macumber, who grew up in Brooklyn, Hants County, also represented his country with great success on the international stage, playing for Canada in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He helped his country win Pan-American Games gold in 2003, when he led the team in RBIs.
Lou Davis, Truro (umpire)
Davis started his umpiring career in 1988. His tireless work with Softball Nova Scotia includes working and supervising numerous provincial championships. He has also served as a regional umpire-in-chief for many years and held the position of provincial umpire-in-chief.
Nationally, Davis currently serves as the education officer, as well as working on the rules committee and in the development of national exams. He has umpired eight Canadian championships, including five at the senior men’s level. He has supervised five Canadian championships from bantam girls to senior men’s fastpitch.
Davis has also worked three World Baseball Softball Congress world championships, the Chinese national championship and this year will represent Canada in Prague, Czech Republic at the European men’s championship and the inaugural 6 Nations Intercontinental Championship.
Four years ago, Davis was appointed deputy umpire-in-chief of the ISC world championship.
He is active with the NCAA softball, and has worked seven conference championships, as well as the NAIA National Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Dave Anderson, Lower Truro (builder)
Anderson has been a long-time sponsor in many sports for decades. He has, through his family business, Murphy's Fish & Chips, provided many teams and athletes with the opportunity to represent Nova Scotia.
Anderson has assisted minor teams in various regions of the province and junior and senior men’s teams representing Nova Scotia at nationals. Individual athletes have received sponsorships, which have allowed them to compete at the highest level, and attend national team camps, and eventually represent Canada.
As a youth, he was a skilled athlete in baseball, hockey and rugby. He went on to be a successful coach in all three sports. He has been associated with numerous travel teams in Ontario and Newfoundland, who have accomplished outstanding results, accumulating several national and world championship gold and silver medals.
Anderson has also sponsored curling teams, which have been successful at the provincial, national and world levels.
